Parsing the Bailout (Wash Post + NY Times)

[Editor’s note: Two visual approaches to graphing out the Federal Government’s expanding effort to “invest” in the economy during the financial crises and prevent another “Great Depression”. One from the Washington Post uses a tree map (1 | 2 | 3) approach to show all the individual parts of the bailout in relative size to each other in 1 single block. The New York Times offering uses an illustrated narrative form where each part is still scaled relative to the others but it is shown in isolation with explanation text. The two graphics are not directly comparable as they use different grouping categories. Please note the Post graphic was 3/4 of a page while I think the Times graphic was smaller.

The NY Times used a similar tree mapping approach in their recent All of Inflation’s Little Parts interactive. I’m quite taken with this approach! It reminds me of cartograms but focusing on the data topology instead of being held captive by the “shape” of countries. Countries are to most people nominal lists and when physical geography (arrangement, proximity, etc) does not influence pattern, I think this is a better approach.]

Graphics below republished from Washington Post and New York Times (story | graphic), both from 26 November 2008. Top graphic (graduated circle “bubbles”) is NY Times.